Large Chinese Polychrome Temple Figure Head with Export Seal | Circa 19th–Early 20th Century

$3,000.00
$3,000.00
Frais de port calculés à la caisse.
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  • Chinese painted terracotta bust of a court official with traditional ceremonial hat.
  • 360-degree view of a Chinese painted terracotta bust depicting a court official with traditional ceremonial headdress and traces of mineral pigment and lacquer decoration.
  • Antique Chinese terracotta temple sculpture of a scholar-official with lacquered headdress.
  • Late Qing Dynasty terracotta bust of a Chinese court official with mineral pigments.
  • Chinese temple bust of a scholar-official with black ceremonial hat and red lips.
  • Antique Chinese painted terracotta official figure with aged patina and lacquer traces.
  • Chinese architectural terracotta bust depicting a scholar-official with ceremonial headdress.
  • Late Qing Chinese temple sculpture of a court official with painted terracotta surface.
  • Historic Chinese terracotta bust of a civil official with traditional scholar headdress.
  • Chinese temple attendant bust with mineral pigment and lacquer decoration.
  • Antique Chinese terracotta official figure with elongated ears and painted features.
  • Chinese carved terracotta bust representing a scholar-official from the Qing period.
  • Chinese temple sculpture bust with black lacquer hat and pale mineral slip face.
  • Qing Dynasty style terracotta bust of a Chinese magistrate or temple official.
  • Chinese terracotta bust of a ceremonial court official mounted on wooden base.
Chinese painted terracotta bust of a court official with traditional ceremonial hat.
360-degree view of a Chinese painted terracotta bust depicting a court official with traditional ceremonial headdress and traces of mineral pigment and lacquer decoration.
Antique Chinese terracotta temple sculpture of a scholar-official with lacquered headdress.
Late Qing Dynasty terracotta bust of a Chinese court official with mineral pigments.
Chinese temple bust of a scholar-official with black ceremonial hat and red lips.
Antique Chinese painted terracotta official figure with aged patina and lacquer traces.
Chinese architectural terracotta bust depicting a scholar-official with ceremonial headdress.
Late Qing Chinese temple sculpture of a court official with painted terracotta surface.
Historic Chinese terracotta bust of a civil official with traditional scholar headdress.
Chinese temple attendant bust with mineral pigment and lacquer decoration.
Antique Chinese terracotta official figure with elongated ears and painted features.
Chinese carved terracotta bust representing a scholar-official from the Qing period.
Chinese temple sculpture bust with black lacquer hat and pale mineral slip face.
Qing Dynasty style terracotta bust of a Chinese magistrate or temple official.
Chinese terracotta bust of a ceremonial court official mounted on wooden base.
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Large Chinese Polychrome Temple Figure Head with Export Seal | Circa 19th–Early 20th Century

Description
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Historical Context & Origin

Region: China
Material: Hand-modeled terracotta with mineral pigment and lacquer traces
Period: Late Qing Dynasty to Early Republic Period, circa late 19th – early 20th century

Description

This striking Chinese painted terracotta bust depicts a dignified court official wearing a traditional ceremonial hat, likely representing a scholar-official or temple attendant figure. The sculpture displays finely modeled facial features including softly arched brows, almond-shaped eyes, and delicately formed lips, conveying the calm and introspective expression typical of Chinese religious and court imagery.

The figure wears a tall black ceremonial headdress with raised side panels, a form commonly associated with civil officials in Chinese visual culture. Such figures were often created for temple altars, ancestral shrines, or architectural niches where they served as attendants, guardians, or symbolic representations of authority and moral virtue.

The surface retains traces of its original painted decoration, including black lacquer on the headdress and red pigment on the lips, while the face preserves a pale mineral slip typical of temple sculpture. Natural pigment loss and surface wear have produced a rich aged patina consistent with historic devotional use.

The underside of the neck retains an early red wax export seal bearing the inscription “ANT. OUD.” This mark originates from the European antique trade, likely Dutch or Belgian, derived from the phrase Antiek Oud (“Antique / Old”). Such seals were commonly applied by European dealers or export houses during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Asian antiquities entered Western collections.

Mounted on a later custom wooden display base, the bust likely once formed part of a larger temple or architectural sculpture before being preserved as an independent artifact.

Features

- Hand-modeled terracotta sculpture

- Remnants of original mineral pigments and lacquer

- Traditional scholar-official style headdress

- Expressive facial modeling with elongated ears

- Aged surface with natural pigment loss and patination

- Early European red wax export seal marked “ANT. OUD”

- Mounted on a later custom wooden display base

Cultural Significance

Figures representing officials, scholars, and attendants were important elements within Chinese temple and shrine decoration. They symbolized moral authority, wisdom, and bureaucratic order within the cosmological hierarchy of traditional Chinese belief systems. Such sculptures often flanked larger deity figures or formed part of architectural shrine programs.

The stylized hat and composed facial features evoke the scholarly class that played a central role in imperial Chinese society, where civil service officials were regarded as embodiments of education, governance, and moral virtue.

Condition

Good antique condition consistent with age. The sculpture shows significant surface wear and pigment loss, particularly across the headdress and facial surface. Minor chips, cracks, and areas of abrasion are present, typical of historic terracotta temple sculpture. The bust is mounted on a later custom wooden base for display.

Dimensions (Approximate)

Height: 12 in
Width: 6.5 in
Depth: 7.5 in

Age (Approximate)

115–175 years old

Learn More

Discover Chinese Buddhist sculpture through the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Explore our curated Ancient Chinese Artifacts & Imperial Relics Collection

Description

Historical Context & Origin

Region: China
Material: Hand-modeled terracotta with mineral pigment and lacquer traces
Period: Late Qing Dynasty to Early Republic Period, circa late 19th – early 20th century

Description

This striking Chinese painted terracotta bust depicts a dignified court official wearing a traditional ceremonial hat, likely representing a scholar-official or temple attendant figure. The sculpture displays finely modeled facial features including softly arched brows, almond-shaped eyes, and delicately formed lips, conveying the calm and introspective expression typical of Chinese religious and court imagery.

The figure wears a tall black ceremonial headdress with raised side panels, a form commonly associated with civil officials in Chinese visual culture. Such figures were often created for temple altars, ancestral shrines, or architectural niches where they served as attendants, guardians, or symbolic representations of authority and moral virtue.

The surface retains traces of its original painted decoration, including black lacquer on the headdress and red pigment on the lips, while the face preserves a pale mineral slip typical of temple sculpture. Natural pigment loss and surface wear have produced a rich aged patina consistent with historic devotional use.

The underside of the neck retains an early red wax export seal bearing the inscription “ANT. OUD.” This mark originates from the European antique trade, likely Dutch or Belgian, derived from the phrase Antiek Oud (“Antique / Old”). Such seals were commonly applied by European dealers or export houses during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as Asian antiquities entered Western collections.

Mounted on a later custom wooden display base, the bust likely once formed part of a larger temple or architectural sculpture before being preserved as an independent artifact.

Features

- Hand-modeled terracotta sculpture

- Remnants of original mineral pigments and lacquer

- Traditional scholar-official style headdress

- Expressive facial modeling with elongated ears

- Aged surface with natural pigment loss and patination

- Early European red wax export seal marked “ANT. OUD”

- Mounted on a later custom wooden display base

Cultural Significance

Figures representing officials, scholars, and attendants were important elements within Chinese temple and shrine decoration. They symbolized moral authority, wisdom, and bureaucratic order within the cosmological hierarchy of traditional Chinese belief systems. Such sculptures often flanked larger deity figures or formed part of architectural shrine programs.

The stylized hat and composed facial features evoke the scholarly class that played a central role in imperial Chinese society, where civil service officials were regarded as embodiments of education, governance, and moral virtue.

Condition

Good antique condition consistent with age. The sculpture shows significant surface wear and pigment loss, particularly across the headdress and facial surface. Minor chips, cracks, and areas of abrasion are present, typical of historic terracotta temple sculpture. The bust is mounted on a later custom wooden base for display.

Dimensions (Approximate)

Height: 12 in
Width: 6.5 in
Depth: 7.5 in

Age (Approximate)

115–175 years old

Learn More

Discover Chinese Buddhist sculpture through the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Explore our curated Ancient Chinese Artifacts & Imperial Relics Collection

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